Slow Cooker Chickpea Sweet Potato Curry (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

The perfect meal to throw together on those busy weekdays. This is a wholesome and hearty dish that truly hits the spot. Grab a bowl and get comfy because this dish will make you want to snuggle up next to your spouse, pet, or even a cozy blanket. It is filled with plant-based ingredients such as sweet potatoes, chickpeas, carrots and a delicious blend of Indian spices, which will all help you hit your daily nutritional needs.

Being busy is no excuse to allow your bank and health to suffer. If you have a slow cooker or are able to get your hands on one, do yourself a favor and use it, these devices will change your life. The instant pot has gotten a lot of attention lately and don’t get me wrong, I love mine! However, there is something nostalgic about a slow cooker. I remember being a child and my mother working late nights. I’d come home from school and there would be a slow cooker simmering on the kitchen counter with a little written note sitting in front of it. The note would have directions on it as to when I would need to turn it over to warm and what to add to the crockpot last minute. Even the days that we went without having dinner together as a family, it still always felt like my mother was right next to us at the dinner table.

Curry has been a staple in my home ever since going vegan. You can basically add whatever vegetables you’d like into them. They create a large amount of food that can be saved throughout the week using very inexpensive ingredients. Also, it’s amazing how flavorful they are. You can play around with so many different varieties of spices. It feels like a dance party going on in your mouth.

Let’s get started

Ingredients

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp asafoetida/hing (available at Indian markets or you can omit)

black pepper

salt

1 tbsp olive or coconut oil

1 or 2 serrano peppers (thinly chopped)

1/2 yellow onion (diced)

4-6 garlic cloves (minced)

1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger (grated or minced)

2 bay leaves

2 cups of vegetable broth

1/2 head of a medium to large cauliflower (chopped)

1 larger sweet potato (peeled and chopped)

2 large carrots (peeled and chopped)

1/2 green bell pepper (chopped)

2 cups of cooked chickpeas

1.5 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup of unsweetened canned coconut milk

juice from 1/2 of a lime

Other Ingredients (optional)

chopped cilantro

cooked basmati rice (you may use any type of rice)

freshly baked gluten-free naan bread

Directions

Plugin your slow cooker and turn the heat onto high. You may spray the bottom and side with a nonstick spray if you’d like.

Coat the onion, serrano, garlic, and ginger with the spices and keep stirring so the spices do not burn. Cook for about 2-4 minutes. If you need to add a splash of water or a little bit of oil during this step to keep from burning, please do so. You want everything to get brown and crispy.

After the spice mixture is done, scoop it into the slow cooker with all of your other ingredients, mix the spices into the pot so everything is coated nicely.

Allow the curry to cook on high heat for 4 hours. (You can try this on low for 5-6 hours, I personally have not done this, but it should work).

Once you’ve reached your cook time, you may turn the slow cooker to keep warm and stir in the lime juice and the coconut milk.

Serve with some of your favorite cooked rice and/or gluten-free naan bread, and top with chopped cilantro!

Recipe Notes

If asafoetida (hing) is not readily available in your local market, you may omit this spice.

You may skip the toasting of spices and just add all ingredients into the crockpot if you are low on time. However, by toasting them in certain ways you are unlocking their flavors which truly brings out an amazing flavor for a quick curry.

Another great addition to this dish is to add some mint to your favorite unsweetened plant-based yogurt and serve on top.

Substituting black mustard seeds for some added spice is a great modification.

If you want some added greens, you can stir in some kale, chard, or spinach when you add in the lime and coconut milk. The heat from the curry will wilt down your greens.